Kings Canyon (Northern Territory) facts for kids
Kings Canyon, also known as Watarrka, is a huge canyon in the Northern Territory of Australia. It's found at the western end of the George Gill Range. This amazing natural wonder is about 321 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Alice Springs. It is also about 1316 kilometers (818 miles) south of Darwin. Kings Canyon is a main part of the Watarrka National Park.
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History of Kings Canyon
People have lived around Kings Canyon for a very long time. The Luritja people, who are Aboriginal people, have called this area home for at least 20,000 years.
An early European explorer named Ernest Giles was one of the first Europeans to see the canyon. He arrived there in 1872.
How Kings Canyon Got Its Name
The creek that flows at the bottom of the canyon is called Kings Creek. This creek gave the canyon its name. Ernest Giles named the creek in 1872. He wrote in his book that he named it after "Mr. Fielder King," who was an old and kind friend of his.
The Aboriginal people, especially the Luritja and Arrernte groups, have their own name for the creek and canyon. They call it "Watarrka" (pronounced what-ARR-kah). This word comes from the Luritja language and means "umbrella bush." The umbrella bush (Acacia ligulata) is a type of plant that grows nearby. This is why the national park around the canyon is called Watarrka National Park.
Exploring Kings Canyon
Kings Canyon is about 321 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Alice Springs. You can get there by driving on the Larapinta Drive (which needs a 4WD vehicle). Or, you can take a longer route of about 474 kilometers (295 miles) using the Stuart Highway, Lasseter Highway, and the Red Centre Way. These roads are all sealed, making them easier to drive on.
Kings Canyon is known as one of the most amazing canyons in Central Australia. It's like a "living plant museum" because it has so many different kinds of plants. There are about 572 different plant species here, and 60 of them are rare or very old types. You can also find 80 different kinds of birds. The canyon has special plants called cycads and places with water all the time, called permanent rock pools. There are also old Aboriginal paintings and carvings in the area.
The walls of Kings Canyon are very tall, reaching over 100 meters (328 feet) high. Kings Creek flows at the bottom of the canyon. Some parts of the gorge are Aboriginal sacred sites. One special place is called the Garden of Eden. It's a permanent waterhole surrounded by lots of plants. Visitors can walk on the path nearby, but they are not allowed to swim in the waterhole. This is because it is a very important sacred place for the traditional owners of the land. There are also unique rock shapes called the "Lost City."
Walks and Trails
There are several fun walks for visitors to enjoy at Kings Canyon:
- The Kings Canyon Rim Walk is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) loop. It goes along the top edge of the canyon. This walk takes about three to four hours to finish and is considered "moderate to difficult."
- The Kings Creek Walk is an easier walk. It's 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) long and goes along the bottom of the gorge. This walk takes about one hour and is considered "easy."
- The South Wall Walk is 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) long and takes about two hours. It starts with a steep climb to the top, where you get great views of the gorge below. This walk is considered "moderate."
- The Kathleen Springs Walk is an easy walk on a paved path. It's about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) long and takes about 1.5 hours. This path is good for wheelchairs.
For those who like longer adventures, the Giles Track connects Kings Canyon to Kathleen Springs. It's 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) long. You can walk it in either direction, and it's suggested to spend a night camping along the way.
Geology of Kings Canyon
Scientists believe that Kings Canyon was formed more than 400 million years ago. The canyon cuts through a layer of rock called Mereenie Sandstone. This sandstone was laid down about 400 million years ago. You can see it in the tall cliffs, which are about 30 meters (98 feet) high. Deeper down, you can see softer rock called Carmichael Sandstone, which is even older, about 440 million years old. Between these two layers of sandstone, there is a thin layer of purple shale or mudstone. This thin layer shows how the environment changed a long time ago.
Animals and Plants
Kings Canyon is home to many different animals and plants.
Animals of Kings Canyon
Many birds live in the canyon area, including:
- Spinifex pigeon
- Zebra finch
- Several types of honeyeater
- Purple-backed fairywren
- Budgerigar
- Rufous grasswren
- Nankeen kestrel
Other animals you might see include:
- Blistered pyrgomorph (a type of grasshopper)
- Centralian Green Frog
- Desert tree frog
- Dingo
- Long-nosed dragon (a lizard)
- Perentie (a large lizard)
- Ring-tailed dragon (a lizard)
- Termites
- Rock wallaby
Plants of Kings Canyon
More than 750 different types of plants have been found in the Kings Canyon area. At least 60 of these plants are unique and only grow in this region. Some of the plants you can find include rare cycads, ferns, eucalyptus trees, acacia bushes, and desert oaks.
Kings Creek Station
Kings Creek Station is a large property located about 36 kilometers (22 miles) from Kings Canyon. It was started in 1981 by Ian and Lyn Conway. Today, it offers places for tourists to stay and different experiences. It used to be mainly a cattle station and a place to raise camels, and it still has these animals. However, tourism is now its main business. The property covers a huge area of about 2,200 square kilometers (850 square miles).
Kings Canyon Power Station
The Kings Canyon Power Station helps provide electricity to the area. It uses photovoltaics, which are like solar panels, to make power from the sun. When it started in December 2003, it was the biggest solar power plant of its kind in Australia. It can produce 225 kilowatts of power. This power station, which is part of the Territory Generation network, is the only main source of electricity for the Kings Canyon area. It can provide up to 1.1 megawatts of power using a mix of solar and diesel generators.
Kings Canyon in Movies
Kings Canyon was featured in the 1994 film Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In the movie, the main characters climb the rock at the end of their journey of self-discovery.
